1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document editing device that is capable of printing, at a desired position, print data having a variable print width in a print line direction.
2. Description of Related Art
There have been hitherto known various kinds of document editing devices that are capable of printing print data having a variable print width in a print line direction, such as typewriters, wordprocessors, etc. Here, the print data having a variable print width in a print line direction are defined as print data having no fixed margin width. For example, ruled-line data in a ruled-line forming mode, image data that are formed by reading out an original image with a hand scanner as an image reading device, image data that are formed by a graphic editor, character array data, etc. constitute the print data having a variable print width as described above.
In order to print such print data having a variable print width in a print line direction using a print device such as a typewriter, a wordprocessor or the like, a print position must first be set. The print position setting operation is carried out as follows. An operator carries out a prescribed key operation to move a carriage having a print head serving as a print device in a print line direction and stop the carriage at a desired position. This operation corresponds to the setting of a print start position. That is, when a print operation is carried out while moving the carriage from the left to the right along a print line, the left margin of print data in the print width thereof is set to a desired position. Print devices of this type include not only devices such as a typewriter in which characters are typed on a sheet after the carriage is stopped, but also devices such as an ink jet printer in which character or graphic dot patterns are formed on a sheet while moving the carriage.
However, the conventional devices as described above have the following problems. In a typewriter, for example, the operator can move a print head to the print start position, however, the print end position on a print sheet cannot be specified because the data length of print data is unfixed. Therefore, there is a possibility that the print data cannot be printed at a desired position. That is, the operator cannot recognize the print width of the print data and the print position (print status) of the whole print data on the print sheet unless all the print data have been printed on the print sheet. Therefore, the print end position may be deviated from the print sheet after the print operation is completed, resulting in failure of the print operation. Accordingly, the print operation must be tentatively carried out several times.